London bombs: Lawyer wants delay in extradition case

An Italian prosecutor says he is seeking a delay of any decision on the extradition of suspected London bomber Hamdi Issac to Britain, saying on the opening day of the hearing that he wanted to see further documents in the case.

Issac, who was arrested in Rome on June 29, was present at today’s extradition hearing, which began shortly after 9am (8am Irish time) in a Rome court amid tight security, said court official Salvatore Frezzetto.

British authorities are seeking Issac for his alleged role in one of the failed July 21 bombings. During a break in the hearing, Italian prosecutor Alberto Cozzella told reporters he had “asked for a delay to allow for checks on the material elements of what happened” in the botched bombings.

Paolo Iorio, a lawyer representing the British government in the case, said such checks would include analyses of the contents of the bag that Issac carried onto the Shepherd’s Bush underground station on the day of the attacks.